Barrier (Marth x Ike oneshot)
by RHYTHMTENGOKU
Summary: With the departure of Roy from Super Smash Brothers and his language handicap, Marth found himself feeling more isolated than ever. The newcomer, Ike, seems to be the only beacon of friendship for the Hero-King, but can Marth get over his stubborn hatred for him, first? (Based off the headcanon that Marth only speaks Japanese.)


Character cuts are always hard. The earth shattering moment that takes place when one receives the letter that they're to be replaced in the next installment of Smash Brothers is never easy to accept, especially if one's made friends with the other Smashers. The cut characters pack their bags, say their tearful goodbyes, and leave the Smash Brothers universe wondering if they'll ever make it back, wondering what they did wrong. A room that once belonged to one character is passed to a newcomer, a world that's connected to a cut character is removed from the available worlds to go to, and so on. And, despite all the bitter sadness, life does have to move on. The newcomers that come along fill in the voids left by those who were cut, make new bonds with the other Smashers, and fill the universe with the hearty joy that is to be expected from such a series.

However, the memories never fade away, and those are the only things the cut characters leave behind. The shouts of "I'll see you all again!" and "I'll be back soon!" are recalled, but those promises almost never come true. And sometimes, the bitterness of believing such a promise is enough to hurt anyone.

Someone like Marth, for example.

Marth had arrived in the Smash Brothers universe with only his sword in his hand and his friend Roy by his side. Although the two were welcomed with open arms into the series, Marth had a slight problem. The Hero-King barely spoke English, and couldn't pick up on the language as well as Roy had. Thus, not only was Roy his trusted comrade, but he also became an asset to helping Marth live properly in the Smash Mansion, acting as a translator for the confused swordsman. The two spent almost all their time together, through fights, training, mornings, evenings, and, by a miracle, even their rooms were across from each other. They were an inseparable duo, and many admired the friendship between the two.

So, waking up in the morning and finding Roy's room empty took a serious toll on Marth. He didn't do know what to do, what to say, how to go on without his friend by his side. The other Smashers scratched their heads in confusion, trying to figure out what to say to comfort the broken swordsman, but all attempts ended in vain. The language barrier and the barrier surrounding his heart were things no one could break through.

Then, one morning, he came.

On a seemingly average morning, Marth woke up, startled, the sound of battery operated hand drills and hammer pounding making his ears ring. He covered his ears, slightly annoyed and ultimately confused, and got up out of bed, trying to locate the source of the noises that had disturbed him so early. He moved over and leaned to the right side of his room, where Captain Falcon slept next-door, and the noises became weaker in sound. He moved over and leaned over to the left side of his room, where Ness resided next-door, and the noises became weaker, as well. He looked outside his window, in back of him, and saw no construction going on outdoors. Putting the pieces together, Marth realized the ruckus was coming from across the hallway, and his heart sank. He knew what that meant- someone was now occupying the room Roy once lived in. It would only be a matter of time before the newcomer erased all thoughts of Roy in other Smasher's minds, or, at least that's what Marth thought would happen. In any case, whatever the newcomer was doing across the hall, Marth wanted anything but to be near it. Getting dressed in a huff, swiping his sword off his desk, Marth opened his door, ready to go out to train for the day...

...Only to find he was barricaded in by many, many boxes. They formed a perfect wall, although Marth had just the slightest bit of room for him to see over. The door to Roy's- now the newcomer's- room was slightly ajar, and he could hear the raw sounds of tools coming from it. The Hero-King stood there, pondering what he could do behind his wall of boxes. He could try to move them, but they were big and looked much too heavy for him to want to. He could call out for someone to help him, but he knew no one would be able to understand him. Nevertheless, he knew he had to try, and he cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice against the already loud noises in the hall, "_Excuse me! Is anyone out there?!_"

The drilling and hammering all came to a halt immediately, startling Marth, but he nevertheless stood, waiting for someone to approach. The door to Roy's room opened completely, and Marth found himself face to face with a male, around the same height as he was. His hair was short, messy, and blue, his narrow eyes a similar shade. He looked at Marth with a bored face, but then formed a crooked grin and he scratched his head. "Guess I wasn't looking where I was putting these things. Sorry 'bout that." He said, and Marth stared at him blankly, as if he never said anything to begin with. The male paused, feeling the awkwardness of the conversation sink in. "Uh, yeah... I just got here, so, uh... Nice to meet you." He stammered, and when Marth gave no response again, he leaned in and whispered, "_...Do you speak English, or what? What's the deal?_"

Hearing someone speak the language Marth actually had a grasp on made his heart skip one too many beats. Was it really possible? Had he finally found someone he could really understand? His eyes gleamed as he stepped forward to ask, "_You... You speak Japanese...?!_"

"_To some extent. Though most people here speak English, so I stick to that._" The male said, crossing his arms. His narrow eyes looked off to the side, as if his mind was wandering off, but he turned back to Marth, confused, and asked, "_So why aren't you speaking it? English, I mean._" He inquired, to which Marth looked away, saddened. "_I'm not quite good at English. I've never gotten the hang of it._" His voice went low, and there was a moment of silence before the male picked up two boxes in front of Marth with ease, "_Well, that's pretty inconvenient. I'm Ike, by the way. I'll move my stuff out of the way for you._" He nodded to Marth, then turned around and lined his doorframe with his boxes.

After watching Ike for a few moments, the swordsman spoke, "_My name is Marth._"

"_Marth..._" Ike repeated, absentmindedly. When he had finished moving his boxes, he stuck out a hand to Marth, grinning, "_Hope to see you soon. I gotta finish putting stuff up in this room, which'll probably take a while. Just let me know if you need me for anything._" His voice was almost monotone, but his face seemed to make up for what he lacked in vocal expression. Marth stared at the extended hand for a brief moment before taking it in his and shaking it. It was slightly bigger than his, which made shaking it all the more awkward. "_...Yes, I will._" Marth replied, then stepped out of his room, shut his door, and began walking down the hallway to go to the nearest training hall.

Thoughts raced through Marth's mind faster than when Pikachu let out a Thundershock attack. Was Ike supposed to be Roy's replacement, or was he a different person entirely? Why couldn't Roy stay in the first place? Was Roy unfit for Super Smash Brothers? Was Roy bested by Ike? There was no way for Marth to figure out any of the questions he asked himself, as they required meeting with Roy, who he did not have access to after he left Smash Brothers. The unnerving feeling of not knowing anything made Marth even angrier- he felt that, as a friend of Roy's, he'd know his reason for leaving the fighting tournament he seemed so fond of.

After running through the thoughts in his mind, Marth looked at the hand he used to shake Ike's, disgusted, and wiped it bitterly against his shirt before practically kicking the door open to the training hall.

If anything, there was one thing in Marth's mind he WAS sure he knew- He didn't want Ike, he didn't want any newcomer, he wanted to be with someone he trusted from the start.

But time still went on.

Hours turned to days, and days turned to months, and months into years. Years of waking up and giving a groggy "Hello" to Ike before running off to train, years of feeling more isolated than ever, years of waiting for Roy to return.

Years of observations.

For one- Marth saw that Ike was lazy. He didn't like cleaning his dishes or cleaning his room, he didn't like getting up to train or getting up at all, really. He would often hang around with Captain Falcon, joking about whatever situation was happening at the time, not caring about anything else. In fact, Captain Falcon and Ike hung out on a couch almost every single day, becoming close friends within just a few days, acting like they knew each other since birth. Sure, Ike knew that when he was called upon he had to snap into action to fight, and he would do just that. But the second a fight finished, he'd find a couch to snooze on.

Second- Marth noticed Ike was loud. He'd shout about almost anything, whether it be if he stubbed his toe or if Samus beat him in cards for the 50th time in a row. He let younger Smashers mess around with his sword and yell at them techniques which they would fail to replicate. When someone would yell at him to lower his voice, he'd oblige for a short period of time, but not before raising his volume higher and saying, "Alright!"

Third, and, by far, the most prominent thing Marth noticed- Ike was strange, and often contradictory. He said he hated flowers, but gladly accepted a sunflower from Lucas and planted it in an empty bin he had. He said he hated a certain brand of soda, yet he'd drink it if someone gave it to him by accident. He was incredibly strong, but asserted his strength the most when slamming doors or kicking them down. He yelled almost all the time, but when comforting Ness about one of Olimar's Pikmin running of with his yo-yo and losing it, he spoke in the softest voice Marth had ever heard.

Marth watched Ike's oddity from a distance, his heart unmoved. No matter how many times Ike called him over, saying something along the lines of, "_Marth, you wanna train together?_" or "_Marth, you ever try this brand of cake? It's pretty good._", Marth simply rejected his offer. It had been that way for a long time, and Marth didn't want to start accepting now.

"Why do you even try?" Captain Falcon shoved Ike one day after he asked Marth to come over to play a game of cards. The boisterous racecar driver scooted his seat more towards Ike, who sat on a couch across from him. "You know he's gonna say no. He's got his head up in the clouds, that kid. He's bizarre." Captain Falcon glanced at Marth, who stood nearby, then looked back to Ike. The language barrier meant nothing here. Marth knew he was talking about him- that suspicious glare, that feeling of coldness in the room- they were all familiar to the Hero-King, who was more like a jester in the eyes of others.

Ike simply shrugged, "Well, I just feel like it." He said nonchalantly, then looked over to Marth across the room and locked eyes with him. Upon this established eye contact, which made Marth feel slightly uncomfortable, Ike said in a louder voice, "I gotta keep my morals in check, you know? You know what they say: _'Captain, you try and imply you're better than Marth, when you can barely match his abilities.'_, which translates to 'Bring kindness to everyone.'."

Upon hearing such a phrase leave Ike's mouth, Marth widened his eyes with shock. Why would he say that in Japanese, instead of in English? Was Ike actually standing up for him, despite the obvious void of a relationship the two had? That didn't make any sense. Ike had nothing to gain out of it. In any case, he didn't break eye contact with Ike, waiting to hear anything else the swordsman had to say.

"Really? Never heard that before... But, then again, it's not like Japanese is my first language." Captain Falcon commented, and Ike waved his hand around. "Oh, man, there's a bunch of stuff I could teach you. _'My Falcon Punch is weak.'_ means 'Happiness is vital.', _'I keep trying to woo everyone and failing miserably.'_ means 'Friends and family are important to me.', and _'Ike and Marth are the coolest.'_ means 'My power is unlimited.'. All kinds of phrases." Ike grinned. Captain Falcon repeated each phrase, chopping each syllable up strangely, his finished sentences a less-than-perfect mess. Marth had to cover his mouth to prevent himself from laughing too loudly. Ike noticed the Hero-King stifling his laughter and gave him a wink, then turned to Captain Falcon, who had gotten out of his chair to stand up and put his hands on his hips, "I'll go practice these phrases more on my own, but in the meantime, think of more of them to teach me!" He saluted Ike, then ran out of the room, repeating the phrases to himself over and over like a broken record.

Once the Captain was out of earshot, Ike burst out laughing, startling Marth. "Oh my god, he's such an idiot!" He cackled, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. Marth stared at Ike in shock, as he had never seen Ike's mood change so quickly. It took a moment or two for Ike to settle down enough to form a correct sentence again without laughing, but when he did, he looked over to Marth again, "_That good enough for you?_" He asked.

"_What do you mean? What exactly did-_"

"_He wasn't speaking nicely about you, so I pulled a little prank. Told him a bunch of phrases, now he's gonna go around repeating them thinking they're something they're not. It's pretty funny._" He got up from the couch he was lounging on and stretched. He picked up the playing cards he left on the couch and the cards Captain Falcon left behind, shuffling them into a sloppy stack and shoving them into his pocket. Marth put his hands together, folding them neatly on his chest and then murmuring, "_Why?_"

"_What?_"

"_Why would you do that for me?_"

"_...Well, we are friends, right?_"

And, with another wink, Ike strolled out of the room, humming himself a tune. Marth could do nothing but watch him leave the room, for he didn't know how to respond to his answer. Why was Ike trying to be so kind to him, after all these years? Why did Ike call him a "friend" if Marth didn't even pay him the time of day? But most importantly, why did Marth feel a sense of relief when the word "friends" left Ike's mouth? He had sworn Ike to be one of his least favorite people, he had sworn that Ike would replace Roy in the worst way possible, so why? Why was that strange, loud, lazy swordsman so predominant in his mind? Marth leaned back against the wall of the room he still stood in, a hand on his head, and he grimaced. At this point, he didn't know how he should feel anymore.

Before Marth knew it, another year had passed. It had officially been 4 years since Ike moved in, which also meant it had been even longer since Roy left. Still, Marth tried to remain hopeful as newcomers came trickling into the Smash Brothers universe for the next installment of the tournament, praying for Roy's return with all his heart. It didn't help that numerous rumors were being tossed around, some even threatening current Smasher's positions like Ike's. Nevertheless, Ike showed off his letter of acceptance for the new term, proving he was to stay for the coming years.

On an odd, sleepy morning, Ike strolled into the Dining Hall of Smash Mansion, slamming a plate of scrambled eggs on the table next to a half-awake Marth, who was slumped over a nearly full cup of coffee. Marth barely acknowledged the swordsman's presence, and continued to stare quietly at the space in front of him. "_Hey, wake up! What's with you? What time did you sleep last night, man?_" Ike questioned, sitting down next to him, and the Hero-King scarcely moved, not being startled by Ike's loud voice. Mornings like this were common- Ike would force his way to Marth's side in an attempt to talk with him, but almost never received an answer. Today was different, however, as Marth brushed back his hair and murmured, _"I couldn't get to sleep, for some reason._"

"_Are character cuts really stressing you out that badly? You already got the confirmation that you're staying._" Ike frowned. It had been a few days since some characters, like Snake and Ice Climbers, took their bags and left, and there were apparently still more yet to leave. Marth put a hand to his cheek and propped himself up on his elbow. "_I just don't like seeing people go._" He murmured, a scowl appearing on his face. Ike shoved a fork of scrambled eggs in his mouth, then gently placed his hand on Marth's head. "_You're too kind for your own good._" He said, then ruffled Marth's hair. "_It's weird, but kinda nice._" He grinned at Marth playfully, then continued to eat his food.

"Yo, Ike! Can we sit with you guys?"

The two swordsmen looked up to see Little Mac and Wii Fit Trainer standing across from their table, carrying their own plates of food. Wii Fit Trainer was a temporary trainer for Little Mac while he was in Smash Brothers- a decision approved by Doc Louis himself, much to Little Mac's surprise. However, the decision was made not without much thought- the yoga trainer was skilled in all types of fitness training, and this included boxing. So, while she oversaw Little Mac's boxing training, she would also pull him aside and teach him yoga techniques, which he could almost never pull off. Despite his hatred of and lack of talent in yoga, Little Mac became close friends with Wii Fit Trainer, and even began to harbor a crush on her- a fact known by everyone but the trainer herself, as she was much more dense than she appeared, at least, when it came to romance.

Ike swallowed his food before nodding, "Sure, go ahead."

Little Mac set his plate down, plopping down on his seat with a loud sigh. "Trainer absolutely destroyed my left arm yesterday." He huffed, "She was like, 'Oh, it's just another yoga pose!' and next thing I know I'm layin' on the floor with my arm burnin' with pain." He took his fork at angrily stabbed at a small serving of jell-o on his plate, then shoved it in his mouth. Wii Fit Trainer simply smiled at the boxer and said, "Well, I'm not sure I 'destroyed' it when you're the one who fell over, despite the fact you were leaning against a wall." She picked up her fork and picked at the salad on her plate, seeming as though she wasn't very interested in it.

"I'm tellin' ya, yoga's the worst! I can't even name anyone who likes it besides you!" Little Mac argued.

Wii Fit Trainer thought for a moment. "Let's see... My brother enjoys it." She thought to the male Wii Fit Trainer, who was in the Wii Fit Studio fairly often.

"Your brother's a yoga trainer, too! That doesn't count!"

"But, don't you know, Mac?" Ike leaned forward into the conversation, a grin on his face, "The more you stretch in yoga, the taller you'll get. How do you think guys like Captain Falcon got so tall? They all did yoga." He said, and Little Mac was immediately silent, staring at Ike with wide eyes. A height increase was all Little Mac needed to actually become motivated for something he was uninterested in. Wii Fit Trainer raised her eyebrows, "Actually, that's-" She wanted to say untrue, that the Captain had ever done yoga and yoga didn't make a person taller, but Ike held up his hand to silence her.

The yoga trainer sighed, "Fine." She looked over to Marth, who had been sitting across from her at the table the whole time. He had not spoken once, and simply stayed sitting at the table with his eyes staring into his coffee cup. In moments like these, it was hard not to forget he was there, as he seemed to fade away in the presence of others due to his lack of conversation. Wii Fit Trainer stared at the swordsman longer, then suddenly clapped her hands, remembering something, "Oh, that's right! Marth!" She smiled, "Your series is getting two representatives in today! The last two ones that you'll get, for a while."

Marth, upon hearing his name, looked up with a blank expression, and Wii Fit Trainer continued to smile, "We don't know their names, yet, but one of them is a swordsperson who can use magic, and the other is someone who's a lot like you! But that's all the information Master Hand would tell me." She said her last sentence with a discouraged face, and Ike's eyes widened, "Whoa, you got on good enough terms with the Hand that he'll tell you who's coming in?" He asked in disbelief, and the yoga trainer nodded.

"Believe it or not, that dude's in the Studio a lot, doin' these finger stretches." Little Mac said, scarfing down his food at the same time. "It's really weird, you gotta come down to see it."

Marth tapped Ike on the shoulder, "_Excuse me, what did Wii Fit Trainer say?_"

Ike wrapped an arm around him, "_It's great news! We're getting two representatives today, and apparently, one of them's a lot like you! Maybe you've got a fan, or something._" He squeezed him tight in a celebratory hug.

Marth's heart immediately stopped.

What had Ike said? He ran it over in his mind.

A person who was a lot like him? For the series that Marth was apart of? The word 'representative' being used in place of 'newcomer'? Marth's eyes began to swell with tears at the pure joy he felt- the representative had to be Roy, that description knew no other person. Once Roy came back, things would go back to normal. Marth could operate normally again. The thought of Roy's return made Marth's heart felt as though it'd burst.

"_What time are they coming?!_" Marth asked with an excited smile on his face while wriggling away from Ike's grasp, and Ike turned to Wii Fit Trainer to ask his question.

"Hmm... I wasn't given an exact number, but I believe in around thirty minutes is an appropriate time. They come in through the main entrance."

When Ike conveyed the time back to Marth, he immediately stood up from his seat, grabbed his cup of coffee, and bolted out of the room. The three at the table watched in awed silence. Little Mac nudged Wii Fit Trainer, "Why not get him to do some yoga, huh? He's got energy."

"He looked very tense, so perhaps I should."

Ike scratched his head, "He's a pretty interesting guy, I'll tell you that. I guess one of the people you described rang a bell with him." He murmured, "Haven't seen him that happy before." He sighed.

Little Mac raised an eyebrow, "Why, you guys aren't friends or somethin'?" He asked, and Ike shook his head repeatedly, signaling he was frustrated. "Nah, I mean, I think we are, but I'm not sure. He doesn't act like it." He looked away, a disappointed frown on his face. "I-It's nothing, really... Our relationship, that is. I try hard enough, but he just doesn't like me much. It's been around... what, 4 years now? With still nothing." He mumbled, scratching his head. There was a moment of silence, as the two sitting opposite of him didn't know what to say. Normally, if you didn't automatically hit off with a relationship, like Little Mac and Wii Fit Trainer did, you would keep the person in mind as just an acquaintance. So why would Ike try with Marth for years? It seemed tedious.

Wii Fit Trainer folded her hands neatly, "Why continue to try to be friends when he doesn't like you?"

Ike's eyes widened, and he put both his hands under his chin, turning his head away from the two. "That... I don't know. I guess I just..." His voice trailed off, and after a few moments, he said, "I just like him. A lot." His face became bright red, and he covered it with both his hands.

Little Mac stared at Ike with shock. It was rare enough to see Ike present a mood that wasn't joking around or mock-seriousness. Seeing the swordsman blush was similar to being the one person in 7 billion people to win a lottery- unexpected, rare, and nearly impossible to actually achieve. Wii Fit Trainer lightly tapped the boxer next to her on the shoulder, worried. "Is Ike developing a fever?" She asked, her voice in a whisper, and Little Mac narrowed his eyes, "Nah..." He replied, then leaned forward to Ike, trying to get a better look at him before saying, "Ike, man, you gotta tell us what exactly you're feelin', or we can't-"

"I-I have a crush on Marth, alright?! Is that good enough?!"

Immediate silence. Ike's face had turned redder than a stoplight, his body trembling with nervousness.

"A 'crush'... So you want to beat Marth up? 'Crush' him?" Wii Fit Trainer wondered aloud, breaking the soundless moment.

Ike shook his head, lifting it from his hands, "No, no, it's when you like someone-"

"Oh! So an example of this would be you and Captain Falcon?"

Little Mac held in laughter, and Ike shot him a glare before looking at Wii Fit Trainer, the blush on his face fading slightly, "Actually, it's like Peach and Mario's relationship- wanting to kiss them, hug them, hold them, that sort of thing. You just wanna... Be with them, all the time. You wanna love them. ...That's the type of 'like' I have for Marth." Ike clarified, and Wii Fit Trainer nodded, taking in this new information.

The yoga trainer thought a moment before saying anything, then spoke. "I don't know much about 'love', as that wasn't an issue where I came from... but that sounds rather nice, and you're very determined about the matter. However..." Her disposition switched from happy to worried, and she looked at Ike with sad eyes. "What do you do when someone doesn't feel the same? Surely you don't think Marth has the same mindset..." She tried to catch Ike's eye, but he stared off past her, silent for a brief moment, as if he was thinking over what to respond with.

"…He doesn't. I know he doesn't." Ike stated flatly. He stared down at his half eaten plate of food, a blank expression on his face. Ike had come to terms with that truth long ago, as he knew he couldn't avoid it, no matter how hard he tried. "I just gotta accept that, you know?" He sighed, his eyes not looking up to the two. Little Mac crossed his arms, huffing, "Sounds like quitter talk to me."

"That can tend to happen when someone's been trying for four years, man." Ike stood up and grabbed his plate, then turned around. "I'm gonna go throw this out and meet the new guys coming in. You both wanna come with?" He invited both fighters, an interested tone in his voice.

The two looked at each other and nodded.

"It'll be nice to meet new people, don't you think?" Wii Fit Trainer smiled.

"Yeah! Wonder if any of these guys would know a thing or two 'bout boxing…" Little Mac stood up and stretched, then picked up his and Wii Fit Trainer's plates and tossed them into the trashbin nearby.

Wii Fit Trainer stood up from the table, "Wouldn't that be something? It's exciting, isn't it?"

Ike slammed his plate into a nearby trashbin, startling Little Mac and Wii Fit Trainer into silence. He spun around to look at the two, a scowl breaking onto his face, "Alright, you two better stop getting along so nicely, or I'll go myself. It's makin' me feel bad." He stuck out his tongue, and Wii Fit Trainer bowed in apology, "I'll be very cruel to Mac, if that would make you feel better." She suggested.

"Do that for me." Ike crossed his arms.

"WHAT?! H-Hey, Trainer, don't listen to that blue-haired jerk!"

The three walked to the main entrance of the Smash Mansion, Wii Fit Trainer trying to settle the playful argument Little Mac had begun with Ike about the swordsman's attitude. Had Ike not stopped to take a breath from laughing too hard, he'd have missed Marth, who was eagerly standing by the huge, towering doors that belonged to the front of the Smash Mansion. Marth's entire disposition had changed. Though he was normally reserved and steady, seldom showing emotion, he was now bubbling with joy, bouncing on his heels and sporting a grin that was wide across his face, ear to ear.

Wii Fit Trainer and Little Mac had not stopped with Ike, so the two were slightly confused to turn around and find him a few feet back, staring at Marth in awe.

"Yo, Ike, you gonna get movin'?" Little Mac called out, and Ike immediately snapped back to normal and directed his attention to the boxer calling his name, "Y-Yeah, sorry about that-"

A loud creaking sound cut Ike off, and all attention was directed to its source- the main doors, which had begun to open ever so slightly.

Marth's eyes widened, and he immediately stepped back a few feet, staring at the door as it opened. Ike remained where he was, waiting to see those who approached. Would it be someone he knew? Someone he liked? Someone he hated? He hadn't even begun to think over the possibilities- he had been much too caught up in Marth's thoughts and feelings. But what of Marth? What if this new person was someone significant to him? A lover, maybe? Just the thought of that possibility made Ike's stomach curl up in disgust, and he shook his head of the horrible idea.

The doors opened completely, and two figures materialized from thin air. One wore a dark cloak with a hood over their face, making it impossible to distinguish their features. The said person held a book in one hand and a bronze sword in the other, but was not putting either item up in a fighting position, and instead keeping their hands by their sides. Standing next to them was another sword wielder, a woman dressed in completely blue garb. The glare on her face was serious, but upon scanning the inside of the Mansion and seeing Marth, she formally bowed to him. The hooded person, as well, bowed with her.

Ike's heart pounded. Oh, gods, he had been right. A woman who knew Marth had come, and by the pleased look on her face, Ike could tell she had some strong connection with Marth.

But when Ike shot a glance at Marth, he found the complete opposite of what he was expecting. Anger, sadness, maybe even fear, all clashing together to display a horrified look on the Hero-King's face. Marth quickly took a few steps backwards, waving his hands at the woman, as if he was trying to shoo her away.

"Marth, the Great Hero-King. Being in your presence is an enormous honor, and I thank you for allowing a person like I to fight on the same battleground as you." The woman breathed out, a tinge of happiness accenting the serious tone she had. "I've been inspired by your way of battle so much, I consider your moves apart of mine. Please, I do hope you accept that my style is quite similar to yours."

If it wasn't clear that he was overwhelmed about something, Marth was now trying to say something in English to send the woman away. "You… not…" He mumbled, his eyes welling up with tears, and Ike quickly ran into view at the entrance to stand by Marth. "_Man, what's wrong?!_" Ike whisper-yelled, and Marth put his hands to his face, covering his eyes, "_This can't… This can't be…! This person should not be…!_" He cried, and before Ike could question Marth further, Marth turned around on his heel and ran out of the room.

When the newcomers raised their heads to find Marth gone, they stared quizzically at Ike, who stared back equally confused.

"Oh, man! Marth forgot his presents for you guys in his room?" Little Mac shouted, walking into view with Wii Fit Trainer in tow, who looked quite saddened. "Such a shame, that he had to run off like that to get those presents…" She looked to the two figures and bowed, "Our apologies." The two stood in front of Ike, blocking him from sight of the two newcomers. Their faces were bright with cheesy smiles all around, beaming as if Wii Fit Trainer's Sun Salutation had lit up the room.

Ike raised an eyebrow, then leaned forward to where the two stood. "What presents?" He questioned, "What are you two talking about-"

"Ike! Don't you have the key to where the presents are? I don't think Marth does." Wii Fit Trainer cut him off and turned around, the smile on her face immediately leaving and being replaced with a serious glare. Still, the happy tone remained in her voice as she said, "I think you should go after him!" She said, putting her hands on his shoulders and turning him around forcibly. Ike paused and let the moment sink in, realizing what the two were trying to do for him. He nervously laughed, "Oh, haha, yeah. I should go with Marth."

"Yeah, you should." Little Mac said, swinging his leg out behind him, kicking Ike to get him moving, all with a smile on his face.

Ike rubbed his leg angrily and ran off, going into the main hallway of the Mansion. While he ran, he overheard Wii Fit Trainer mindlessly talking, her voice fading the farther he got.

Why was Marth so saddened? Why was he so taken aback by the newcomers?

"_Marth?! Marth, where are you?!_" Ike called out, then mentally hit himself on the head. Would he actually come out, even if he was nearby? Ike really needed to search if he wanted to find Marth soon.

Opening doors. Opening closets. Opening bedrooms (before promptly being kicked out). Running through training rooms. Running through break rooms. Ike was far out of breath, by now, but he still searched diligently, hopeful he'd see Marth somewhere nearby.

Ike had stopped to catch his breath by his own bedroom, leaning his back against his door and panting heavily. In his mind, he was crossing off places he had already searched, and when he was finished, he scowled. He had checked almost every single room in the Mansion, every nook and cranny possible. How could he have missed Marth?

His eyes locked with the door across from him. Marth's bedroom.

"Would Marth really be…?" Ike asked himself aloud, then shook his head. "No, that's way too obvious."

But even so…

Ike leapt forward and jostled the doorknob of Marth's bedroom, and, sure enough, the door opened with ease, the light of the hallway shining into the darkened room. Ike squinted in the darkness, "_Hey, Marth? You in here?_" He whispered.

"_Go away._" A voice replied in the darkness.

"_So that's a 'yes'._"

There was no response, at first. The sound of fumbling sheets could be heard, and a dim lamp light clicked on next to Marth's bed, where Marth was curled up in a ball under his covers, his arm jutting out from the side to adjust the lamp on his nightstand next to him. Ike grinned and shut the door, "_Creative hiding spot._"

"_...What do you want?_" Marth asked, clearly annoyed. Ike thought for a moment before walking over to Marth's bed and sitting at its edge, far from Marth. "_Just want to know what's wrong. Why did you run off like that?_" Ike asked, looking down at his lap, "_...D-Do you know her, or something?_"

"_No, I DON'T_." Marth replied, "_And THAT'S the problem._" He gripped his covers tightly, "_When the Wii Fit Trainer woman said that there was a representative, one who was a lot like me, I thought she was referring to someone else. If she had used the word 'newcomer', I wouldn't have gotten my hopes up. But, of course, she didn't, and I got excited for nothing…!_" His voice began to crack, and Ike looked over to Marth, worried. Was Marth really that lost over this person, whomever they may be?

"_Who were you expecting…?_"

Marth's arm shot out from underneath his covers and grabbed at a tissue box on the floor, stealing several tissues and blowing his nose loudly before continuing, saying, "_A friend of mine. How she described that woman is how she also could have described my friend._" Marth sniffled, his voice wavering. Ike scratched his head, "_Well, maybe there's still time! Maybe your friend can come in next week-_"

"H_E'S NOT COMING NEXT WEEK!_" Marth cut him off, his voice shrill, "_DIDN'T YOU HEAR THAT WOMAN?! THESE ARE OUR LAST REPRESENTATIVES FOR A WHILE! ANOTHER FOUR YEARS, ANOTHER FOUR YEARS I'LL NEED TO WAIT, DAMMIT!_" He sobbed, pounding his fist into the mattress he lay upon in a rapid succession. "_I'M SICK OF WAITING! I'M SICK OF IT…!_" The covers Marth laid under curled up and began to be tugged in multiple different directions because of the force of his anger.

Ike stared at him, horrified, but nonetheless reached a hand out to him, "_H-Hey, Marth, you gotta calm down a little bit-_"

"_SHUT UP! OUT OF ALL PEOPLE, YOU'RE THE LEAST DESERVING TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO! YOU'RE THE WHOLE REASON THIS IS HAPPENING!_" Marth yelled in defense, and Ike's eyes widened, "_What…?! What are you talking about?!_"

"_YOU REPLACED HIM! HE WAS HERE, AND YOU TOOK HIS SPOT! YOUR BEDROOM WAS HIS! YOUR SPOT IN THE LOCKER ROOM WAS HIS! THE TRAINING ROOM YOU USE WAS HIS! EVERYTHING ASSIGNED TO YOU- HIS!_" Marth shot up from his bed and stared Ike in the eye, his face red from his anger and his tears, which were still pouring from his eyes. He gripped his covers angrily and glared at Ike, "_Do you get it now?! Can you get that through your head?!_" He spat, and Ike remained in silence.

"So that's it, huh…" Ike murmured after a few moments, and he stood up and swiftly walked out of the room, then promptly returned with a small black box a minute later. "_This. Take a look at this, for me._" Ike handed the box to Marth, who snatched it out of his hand. The box was dirtied, and the wood it was made out of was chipped to extremes. Nevertheless, the words 'ROY'S THINGS' was clearly carved into it, and Marth's eyes widened. He opened the box in a flash, pulling out a folded up piece of paper.

"_A guy gave that to me the day I moved in. Told me to give it to you, but I lost it in all my stuff. I found it again, but I'd forgotten what it was, so I tossed it somewhere until I remembered. That guy's name… Your friend… he was Roy, wasn't he?_" Ike asked, still standing. Marth's fingers trembled as he opened the paper, nodding.

Ike leaned against Marth's bedpost. "_What's it say?_" He asked.

"_Dear Marth,_" Marth's voice shook as he read, "_This'll be a hasty letter, but I'll try my best. A lot of things happened, all at once. There's a lot of trouble back home, and I can't stay here anymore. I need to leave Smash Brothers, and I need to leave fast. It's unexpected, I know- and I bet you'll be upset with me- but I'd be more upset with myself if I didn't help those in need where I came from. I'll try to come back and visit… But I don't know when that'll be. You won't be too lonely, though. There's a guy coming in, who's from our universe, who was supposed to join us anyways, but now he'll move into my room. Master Hand told me about a bunch of things about him, and I think you'll like him. I hope you guys will be great friends, so, when I come back, the three of us can be a great trio! Until then, keep well, and try to improve your English! From, Roy._"

Marth stared down at the letter, his mouth numb from the mouthful he had to read and his brain numb from the information he had to process. Roy left of his own free will to take care of his homeland. Roy was not forced to leave, nor was he unfit. Roy was not replaced by Ike. Roy wanted the three of them to be friends.

Ike closed his eyes, "_I never opened it… Never thought about what was inside, didn't care. But it seems that you care, a lot, don't you?_"

Marth blinked away his tears in his eyes and nodded, squeezing the paper in his hand tightly.

"_I'll ask Master Hand about scheduling a reunion, something like that._" Ike walked over to the head of Marth's bed and picked up the tissue box on the floor, holding out tissues to Marth. Marth took the tissues with no response. "_If I knew what was going on, I would have requested one sooner… Four whole years. Why didn't you tell me?_"

"_...I didn't want to talk to you._"

"_Clearly that plan worked out well for you._" Ike said jokingly, and then awkwardly cleared his throat, "_Uh… Yeah, that was kinda rude. Sorry._"

"_You don't need to apologize. I should be the one saying sorry. If I had known..._"

Ike shook his head, "_No, I should be sorry. I didn't even show you the letter-_"

"_No, I should be! I was rude!_"

"_You had every right to be!_"

The two stared at each other in silence, and Ike turned his head away. If he stared into Marth's eyes for too long, he'd start feeling those sickening butterflies in his stomach. "_Look, I don't want you to feel bad or anything, alright? I'm just glad you're better, now, after hearing what Roy wanted you to hear._" He said, and Marth folded the paper back up and placed it in the box. "_Why…? Why are you still kind to me, after all of this? After all these years, when we've barely had a relationship? Are you trying to sabotage me, or something similar to that?_"

"I…" Ike paused, then leaned down, centimeters away from Marth's face. "_Look, close your eyes for a second, okay?_"

When Marth obliged, Ike grinned, "_Unexpected that you'd actually do it, but I'm not complaining_." He leaned closer and kissed Marth on the cheek before pulling away from sheer nervousness, then slowly leaned away from Marth, who still had his eyes closed.

"_That… was that a love confession?_" Marth called out, and Ike nodded, "_Y-Yeah. Look, I… I'm not very skilled at words, so I can't put it all together... But I… uh, really, really like you. I… uh, I think I had a paper written down on what I'd say if I confessed, but I accidentally threw it out when cleaning a few months ago._" Ike stammered, and Marth's eyes fluttered open and met with Ike's, making Ike blush even harder than he was prior. His heart was thumping much too loudly, he felt that even Marth could hear it.

"_You're romantically interested in me…_" Marth stared at him, then let out a laugh. "_Nice try, Ike, but you can't fool me with jokes like those._" He chuckled, and Ike felt his heart turn to lead. "_No, I'm serious…_" He said, and Marth only laughed more, "_Yes, serious. Completely._"

Ike stomped his foot on the ground and leaned forward. "_I'm not joking! I love you, alright?!_" He shouted loudly, and Marth was taken aback, staring at him in a stunned silence. "_Your style, your composure, your fighting, your dedication- I love it all! I… I love everything about you, Marth, I'm not kidding! I just didn't know how to tell you all these damn years…!_" His voice cracked, and he quickly turned around to hide his embarrassed face, which felt so hot that it almost burned. Way to go, Ike thought to himself, You probably just ruined the entirety of your relationship within the span of a few seconds.

Marth's bed sheets shuffled, and Ike found Marth by his side, grasping his hand. "_...Forgive me for doubting you._" He murmured.

Ike responded with silence.

Marth breathed out, "_It's strange, I thought that I would hate hearing something like that coming from you._" He started, squeezing onto Ike's hand, "_Did you know? Sometimes, with you, I feel like what I say and what I feel are often scrambled. After you began to call me your friend, I said to myself that I didn't want that, but yet I felt a sense of relief… It was all conflicting, but at the end, being your friend seemed to put a smile on my face, as well as yours, and helped me find out the truth. Since there was a good outcome… Does that mean my current feelings will give me similar outcomes? I feel... confused, but some part of me feels like it's floating on air, and I like that feeling."_ He said, and he brought a hand up to his face. "_Now look what happened. Your blushing is spreading to me._" He mumbled.

"_S-Sorry, should I go?_" Ike asked, trying to pull away from Marth, but the Hero-King held on, firmly. "_Absolutely not_." He chided, "_Ike, we must put this relationship to the test. We must… date._"

"Holy shit, _Are you serious?!_"

"_I do not joke! If my heart feels it is right, then I do not want to go against it!_"

Ike crumpled to the floor with tears in his eyes, losing Marth's grasp. "Four years… Four years… Mac, you fucker, this 'quitter' still got it!" He cheered, laughing while wiping away tears. Marth leaned down to comfort him, as he had no clue why Ike had suddenly started to cry, but Ike grabbed him by surprise and held him close, "_Marth, I love you!_" He shouted, squeezing him tightly and almost smothering him. "_I need to make up for all the times I've wanted to say it these past years- I love you!_"

"_A-Alright, alright! Ike, your kissy-faces are going to be the death of me!_"


End file.
